The age-old funeral service remains to be part of the culture for many of us. It is still one of the most familiar memorialization trends up to these days. But of course, taking things a notch higher, personal memorialization has transitioned from the usual to a more personal service that will make remembering the life of a loved one more meaningful. Let us name some of the most unique personal memorialization trends.

The use of cremation jewelry for your loved one’s cremains

“Cremains” is the term given to the remains of a loved one after cremation. In today’s society where cremation is understood to be a process where cremains should be placed inside your choice of urn, many have thought of elevating things further. Now, on a more personal level, cremains can be transformed into a pendant or other jewelry that can become souvenirs of the life of your dearly beloved. The good thing about this trend is you can keep a part of the life of your beloved closer to your heart.

Incorporating cremains to other items

Apart from jewelry, cremains can now be incorporated into any other item that you have or can use in your home. There are cremains that have been added to pencil boxes, others to bird feeders. A lot of ideas can be done and there can always be a creative way with which you can remember the death of a loved one.

The use of a biodegradable urn

Water burial scattering of ashes is a usual for your loved one’s cremains but there is another alternative to that these days. Using a biodegradable urn, you can just allow the urn to rest on the ocean floor and from there the urn and the cremains will get dissolved. This is a unique way to scatter the ashes to the ocean. You do not even have to hold the ash as the biodegradable urn does that for you instead.

A more extravagant way to scatter the remains of a loved one

Apart from using a biodegradable urn, scattering the remains of a loved one can be done extravagantly. This is through a fireworks display that can be made in honor of your loved one. As opposed to scattering the remains on a body of water, your loved one’s cremains will be packed into fireworks. From there a fireworks display can be arranged for you and the rest of your family. This trendy fashion in the world of personal memorialization is surely a better celebration of life and is a happier way to bid your loved one goodbye. In fact, you will surely have a smile on your faces right after the fireworks display is over.

Personal memorialization can indeed be as unique as you want them to be. Depending on what will work for you and your loved ones, you always have a choice. But of course, remember that many memorialization procedures all start after cremation. We offer quality cremation services in Cheshire, CT and provide many innovative ways of helping you handle the cremains of your loved one. Give us a call today to find out more.

We all know that losing a loved one brings grief. For sure, there are many questions at the back of our minds wanting to be answered. This is but usual in these trying times, so to speak. In fact, the sorrow heightens as the funeral day gets near. Believe it or not, you can always make funerals more manageable in times of grief. Here is how you can do that:

Think of it is a way to bring closure

Funerals become gatherings of people close to your heart. You are all there for one reason and that is to honor the life of a passing loved one. As you bring back old memories, it is for sure that there are happy treasures out there waiting to be remembered. This will make the sorrow sweeter as there is that significant closure with all great stories you share.

Think of the people you are going to share this moment with

Losing a dear loved one is very painful but you can get past that if you know that more and more people will be there to share this moment with you. Do not live inside closed doors even before funeral day. Talk to people more often and try to listen to the good words they have to say about your loved one. Perhaps, you have relatives whom you have not seen for a long time. Reunite with them to ease the pain. Remember, sharing this moment with them will give you more time to heal and be consoled in the process.

Take it as a time to think about life

It can be ironic to think about life in a situation where death is the focus of attention of many. While people may think that being happy on an occasion where everyone else is grieving is unacceptable, you have the choice to think happy thoughts. Take this situation then as an inspiration. Take the life of a loved one as a motivation to become better. Often, in funerals, you remember how kind that person has been throughout his lifetime and how you wish he was not taken away that soon. Why not make his life your inspiration to be good, to be kind and to inspire others to live well.

Customize the gathering

You should do this in such a way that the life of your dearly departed is highlighted. You can bring colors and music to the gathering. Ask about personalized services and see if there are specific themes that will make the celebration even happier. Make the occasion as special as possible not just for you to have an easier time moving on but for you to cherish great moments you had together with your beloved.

Respect the requests of a loved one

If your loved one has requested for cremation before he left this world, you have to respect that. No one in your family should argue about burial and cremation anymore. Grant his wishes as this is the best way to honor the life he have lived on earth.

The idea of body cremation sounds familiar because you probably had people talk about it. Making plans for cremation may seem a little challenging if you do not have a single clue about how things work. Luckily, it is not such a complex process. All you need is the relevant information from funeral homes that offer cremation services. Funeral homes provide you with licensed officials who can shed some light regarding critical things that require compliance such as legal and procedural conditions for cremation. The following are ideas that will help you plan a successful cremation for your loved one.

Contacting funeral homes

There are probably a number of funeral homes where you live. You need to call several funeral homes to get an idea of the general price list that basically covers all items offered. Getting quotes from several funeral homes will make it easy for you to find the one that suits you best. You can compare prices, services and the like to be sure you are making the right choice.

Details of deceased

After making up your mind regarding a funeral home, you should take all the essential details of the deceased such as social security number to the funeral home. More often than not, there is a funeral arrangement platform that helps with cremation planning. The funeral arrangement conference uses these details to ensure that all the legal, procedural and State policies are complied with before any further action is taken.

Body transportation

If the body is not in a funeral home, you will have to move it from the site of the death to the funeral home. Funeral service providers usually provide their clients with secure and original certified copy of death certificate and make arrangements newspaper announcement. In addition, they also see to it that other necessary paper work is done. Therefore, you can be sure of quality cremation services in Cheshire CT when you make a call.

Final steps

The final stops involve getting a medical from a doctor that clearly states the cause of death. In the event there has been a post mortem examination, you may have to get a coroner’s certificate approving cremation. After acquiring all the relevant certificates, all you will have to do is sign cremation authorization document. Some funeral homes allow you to view body cremation while others do not. Therefore, if you want to look at body cremation, you can ask the funeral home if they allow body viewing during cremation.

Lastly, you need to get an urn where you will keep the cremation remains. There are various designs of urns. You can pick an option that you like most. When cremation is over, you will be given the cremation remains. There are a number of things that you can do with the cremation remains. You can put the cremation remains in an urn and store it in a mantel. You can also scatter the ashes in a national park, garden or even in the ocean. The other option is burying the ashes in a burial plot or putting them in a columbarium.

There are people who agree that ash is not the right word for referring to cremation remains. This is true to some extent because after cremation, what remains is actually afine gravel-like material that is grayish in color. There are series of steps that are involved in cremation of the body. Most modern crematories usually store bodies in cool rooms that are temperature-controlled. The bodies stay in this room pending approval for cremation. Prior to cremation, the signature of a coroner is required to ensure that no investigation is necessary because after the body is incinerated, it cannot be retrieved for inquiry purposes.

Body preparation

Body preparation involves removal of pacemakers because they explode when exposed to heat. Other things such as radioactive cancer seeds (for treatment purposes) usually injected or implanted in the body also have to be removed from the body. The body is placed into a casket material that is made of flammable product such as cardboard or plywood.

After the body has been properly put in the casket material, incineration follows. There are various way of incinerating the body. You can watch while the body is being incinerated from an incinerator window. In the case of Hindu culture, you are allowed to initiate cremation by pressing the incineration button.

Body cremation

Once the body is in the casket material, it is put in an incinerator that has been preheated to just about 590 degrees Celsius. The incinerator has mechanized doors, which have to be opened to allow the casket material to be slipped through for body cremation. The casket material accesses the primary cremation chamber by slipping briskly from a rack of metal pins that roll continuously. When the casket material is in place, the doors are closed and the bodyis subjected to a fierce column of flame that basically focuses on the torso. As the heat ignites the casket material, the body (composed of 70 % of water) dries up. The soft tissues start to tighten and burn until they eventually vaporize from the heat.

Body reaction to heat

With the time, the body skin loses colors and becomes waxy. As the heat rages on, the skin blisters and splits. At this point, the body muscles start to char as they flex and extend the limbs while tightening. The bones are actually the last part of the body to go down in flames. Too much exposure to heat calcifies the bones to a point of crumbling. The burning goes for several hours until all that is left of the body is ash.

On average, a human body that has received cremation services in Cheshire CT will be ready after 2-3 hours of incineration. In addition, it will produce an average of 4-10 pounds of ash after cremation. More often than not, the amount of ash produced after incineration largely depends on the bone structure of a person and not his or her weight. In essence, that is all that goes down in the incineration chamber when the body is being cremated.

Many people cannot help but have mysterious questions about the connection between the body and spirit in their minds. This is even more evident when it comes to burial matters where a certain group of people prefer cremation while others choose to have normal burial to lay their loved ones to rest. Although there are factors that have contributed to various beliefs, there is a bit of uncertainty regarding the connection of the body and spirit and the effect of cremation. The following will shed some light regarding the effect ofcremation on the body and spiritconnection.

No physical pain

There are various beliefs regarding the amount of time that it takes the spirit to be torn away from the body after death. Some people believe that the spirit is torn apart immediately after death while others believe the spirit drags on for quite some time before leaving. In that case, some people believe that they will feel pain when their body is incinerated. The truth of the matter is after death, your spirit is not trapped in your lifeless body. Therefore, it is not possible to feel pain during incineration.

Separation of body and spirit

There is an astral cord that connects you to your body. When death occurs, the astral cord gets severed and as a result, you spirit is separated from the body. In mere terms, it means you cannot go back to your body again. Your entire conscious winds up in your spirit and soul. The only thing you can do is look at yourlifeless body the way a peanut would look at its shell. You cannot have physical interactions with the normal world because you are in a different world.

How long does the spirit stay after death?

Without doubt, many do not have a clear answer or idea regarding the amount of time that the spirit stays attached to the body after death. Well, it all depends on a set of circumstances. For instance, if you die suddenly as a result of a fatal accident, you spirit will probably hang around the body for some time.

People who pass on suddenly are believed to find it hard to accept that they have encountered death. In most cases, they hover around their bodies while attempting to come to the reality that they have been separated from their bodies. These people will only move on when the body is buried, autopsied or cremated because they will finally get the idea that there is actually no going back.

Most importantly, cremation is safe for your soul. You can get cremation services in Hamden CT at an affordable cost and be able to put your loved one to rest without worrying about myths such as pain. There is no need to fear. It is the most effective solution that will not only save you the cost of getting burial vault, renting casket but also give you peace of mind even as you reflect on the last moments of your loved one. Cremation does not have any effect on the connection of the body and spirit.

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the death care industry has grown over the years to be one of the most promising business ventures. In particular, one aspect of funeral services has become very popular what with a number of perks. Therefore, if you are looking for the best way of bidding your loved one farewell, cremation is the best solution. There are a number of reasons why cremation has become a growing trend in today’s world. Here are reasons why more people are taking it as an ideal funeral service option.

Religious views about cremation

The world has various religions and as such, there are bound to be differences when it comes to such critical matters as burial ceremonies. For instance, the Catholic Church initially did not vouch for the idea of cremating the body. The practice had been outlawed by the Church for centuries. However, its view of the practice softened with time paving way for many people who preferred cremation to have a funeral service of their choice. That means that even though the church may still express preference for normal burial, it can permit a funeral service to be conducted with the presence of cremated remains.

Changes in the family setting

For quite some time, there has been a steady decline of nuclear families. Many people have moved from their hometowns and parents. Moreover, the popularity and accessibility of family burial plotshas dwindled. This explains why millions of people have now turned to cremation as a cost-effective and rational way of expressing affection and care to the remains of a loved one.

Cost-effective solution

Among other reasons that have led to the rise in popularity of cremation, cost is the major reason why many people are viewing it as a preferable option. The usual funeral service costs a lot more if you consider morgue expenses, casket cost, burial vault fee and the like. In particularly urban centers, prices tend to be higher.

Other factors that may also add up to the overall cost include additional products and services that you would like to receive from a funeral home such as memorial services before burial, visitation and hearses. Ideally, cremation in New Haven CT basically costs a third of the overall cost of a normal burial or in some cases even less. In tough economic times, people always look for a cost-effective solution for handling matters.

Religious view, decline in nuclear families and cost are the main reasons why cremation has become more popular. Another reasons is limited space for burial. With many deaths occurring across the globe annually, cremation is the only solution that minimizes use of space.

There are a number of options that you can consider after cremation. Typically, you have to buy an urn to keep the cremation remains. Since you do not have to buy a burial space, you can keep the urn in your mantel or alternatively scatter the ashes in the ocean. You can also mix the ashes with concrete and drop it into the ocean to create a memorial reef.

Once your loved ones have crossed over, they are usually anxious to communicate with you to let you know that they are fine and aware of everything that is transpiring in your life. Oftentimes, in as much as you might not be able to feel them around you, there are some signs you will see that you just can’t afford to ignore. When this happens, then you should immediately become aware that there is communication you are receiving from the other side. Thus, you need not look for the signs as they will come to you in several forms such as the ones below.

Animal forms

For just a brief period of time, your loved one at times will get a chance to go inside of a given animal like a bird, dragonfly, butterfly or ladybug. Once this happens, you will notice that they will either scream at you, land on you or peck at your window amongst many other signs.

Object placements

You might also notice that objects like rocks, feathers or coins will appear along your path. The things that will be placed will usually be those which were of importance to them that you can easily identify with. If you do not notice a jar filled with coins, objects and feathers in a certain place you frequent, then they will use another object to send you a message.

Giving off fragrances

If you suddenly start smelling your deceased loved ones perfume, cigar, cigarette smoke or flowers, then this is a sign that you simply cannot afford to ignore. This is because you will usually try to find the source of the smell, but you won’t be able to because there won’t be a logical explanation of the same.

Songs start playing

There are times when songs will come on at just the right time. For instance, one of their favorite songs will start playing and begin talking to you at the precise time you need to hear such words. When this starts happening at different places, then this is a great sign to watch out for.

You see them in dreams

This is usually one of the easiest ways that they can make contact with you. The only task you will need to do is request this of them. When you do this, you should also ask them to wake you up, lest you not remember the dream you had. When you have a true visitation dream, it will be peaceful and you will immediately know that indeed it is your loved one. More so, you will be able to remember this dream for many years to come.

Repetition of numbers

If you loved numbers or are aware of those which they loved such as for anniversaries or birthdays, they will repeat these numbers many times in different locations. They will surface on billboards, clocks, your phone or some other place you can easily identify with.

These are just but a few simple signs to watch out for from your loved one, and of course there are many others not listed here that you might discover. Some people say that signs do start occurring right after a cremation or a burial while for others, it might take longer. Whatever it is, many people do say that when there are signs from your loved ones, you will always know.

Oftentimes, you normally left feeling that the funeral or memorial service didn’t quite capture the exemplary life that your loved one lived. If they had a hobby, special interest or passion, then you usually feel more inclined to memorialize your loved one them using creative ways.

Saying goodbye after scattering your loved ones remains is not an easy thing to do no matter who you are. Thus, if you bent on prolonging their memory for the future, then you can use some of the creative ways listed below to memorialize and honor them.

Writing a journal

You should try and write down as many things you can fondly remember your loved one, in addition to all those fun situations you consider yourself fortunate enough to have had with them. Further, you can also include their intriguing traits which made them enjoyable, fun, and important people. Thereafter, you can share this journal with their family members and friends encouraging them to jot down some of their own.

Planting a tree, plant or garden

Whether it is a flower, garden or tree, these are ideal ways of memorializing your loved one. This is especially important if they loved gardening, had a special flower, vegetable or fruit. Once you do this, you can nurture these plants in remembrance of them, or alternatively you can read your favorite book or spend time reflecting while you sit near the tree, garden or plants.

Offer a gift in your loved one’s name

You can also offer gifts anonymously to the family members and friends of the loved one using their name, a gesture which will be highly appreciated. You can even go a step further and offer gifts which your loved one would have offered themselves if they were still alive.

Adopt an animal

If your loved one appreciated wildlife and animals, then you can think of adopting a pet in your loved one’s name from the zoo. Alternatively, you can identify a wildlife organization and make a donation to further their efforts or provide supplies as your loved one would have done if they were still alive.

Donate books

You can also decide to donate books to a school or library that is located close to where you live. You may decide to donate books which your loved one read or identify the author they loved and give those books. Alternatively, if they loved a certain genre, then you can donate those ones to a children’s orphanage if they had some for children.

Naming a star

You can go online to a site like www.starrgistry.com and pick a star from those present and name it after your loved one. This way, when you look at the sky and can identify the star, then you will be able to remember and gain comfort in knowing that they are with you.

Whichever way you use to remember your loved one after holding a simple cremation in Wallingford, CT, you should always know that they will forever remain with you in spirit. Just because they are gone does not mean that you should forget about them.

Ronda Del Boccio is a renowned author, public speaker, and mentor, living in rural Missouri. She has kindly taken some time out to answer some of our questions regarding her various projects, her views on the important role of funeral homes, and getting over grief. You can learn more about Ronda, and her work by following her on Twitter @TheStoryLady. You can also get photos and more, from her Press Page: http://WriteOnPurpose.com/press.

Q1. Can you please start by introducing yourself to our readers? How would you summarize your writing in a few words?

This reminds me of being on a job interview where the employer says, “Tell me something about yourself.” I am mostly blind yet see more clearly than most people. I’m observant enough to notice things like where you dropped your keys. People go out of their way to come tell me absolutely anything. My family joke that I have a flashing sign on my forehead reading, “Come talk to me.” And I absolutely love wordplay. Perfect assets for a writer!

I would describe my writing as quirky, visionary and sticky. Quirky because who knows what will come out of my fingers next. Visionary because even my humorous fiction tales have something to uplift and cause deeper thought while entertaining. Sticky because I’m told, “That story really stuck with me.”

Q2. What was it that originally got you interested in writing? Do you remember your first story?

I used to tell stories with my stuffed animals as a tot, with no prompting or urging from my parents. I guess I was destined to write. While I don’t specifically recall my first written story, I recall writing stories about animals as soon as I learned to make letters. As a matter of fact, I sometimes got in trouble in class for writing bits of a story. How could I help it that inspiration struck in the middle of math class?

Q3. You cover a variety of themes and topics, often including the paranormal. What was it that drew you to that subject specifically?

Woo-woo warning: My response may seem “way out there” to some readers, but it is my truth. Some of us that had “imaginary friends” and talked about seeing or sensing spirits, ghosts or dead people actually DID. I am in that category. I had paranormal experiences (still do), and began being aware of things and beings that most people are not from the cradle onward.

That said, I do sometimes write paranormal tales about things I have not experienced, but even in those, there are kernels of reality. Of my reality, at least.

I most enjoy bringing other-worldly elements into modern world reality, because I like to leave room for the possibility of cool powers and interesting non-humans existing in daily life, right along with morning coffee, mosquitos and paying the bills.

My writing is eclectic. A Tasty Morsel includes a depressed ban-shee, a ghoul nurse, and other characters at a hospital for the undead. My novel in progress is about a reluctant demon hunter. And every once in a while I shock my friends and write something with no paranormal elements, like The Assassin and the Prince, which is a humorous fantasy about race relations and coming of age.

Q4. You have also touched on some serious emotions including grief. Is this something that interests you?

I don’t know if I can honestly say grief interests me. Good conversation, exciting novels and word games interest me. Grief happens. It’s part of life. People grieve. Animals grieve. So it makes for wonderful literary fodder.

As an author, engaging people’s emotions is important. Grief can be a huge motivator of a person or character’s actions. Grief can incite someone to vengeance, help someone change their ways, cause introspection and more.

Q5. What is your view on closure? Do you think cremation can play an important role in that?

Dealing with remains can be part of closure for many people. Personally, I prefer cremation to embalming and burial in a gigantic box, but I say do whichever suits your preference. The loved one isn’t in the remains, but in your heart and memories.

Since we’re talking cremation, I’ll tell you that I’ve had my first two guide dogs cremated. The spirit isn’t in the ashes, but for me it feels important to keep them both with me..

As I write this, I’m coming up on the second anniversary of Molly’s death. Even though I have her beautiful successor Jemma at my feet, I keenly feel the loss of Molly. Something will remind me of her or of things we did together, and memories come back to life. Tears flow. My heart clenches and aches all over again. I feel such gratitude for all we shared. She and Thunder are both forever a part of me. That’s why there is never really closure when it comes to passing of a loved one.

Q6. Finally, do you have any upcoming projects you would like to mention?

Thank you for asking. I’m always working on something. I have a novel in progress that I’m calling (working title) They All Died Smiling. That’s where you’ll meet Kassidy. I’m also writing a nonfiction book about the journey of getting my new Leader Dog, Jemma. I’ll go into what it’s like to go through the month of training in Michigan and our first few weeks as a new team.

You can see excerpts of my current and upcoming works on my website http://WriteOnPurpose.com. Look in the Leader Dog Chronicles category for my journey with Jemma. The Fiction category has stories and excerpts from me and other authors too. I also write book reviews for those who love to read, and author resources for any of you writers out there.

Organizing a cremation for a loved one can be a difficult process for many. In many cases, it can turn out to be one of the most taxing things you can do, particularly if the death if the loved one was not expected. Fortunately, there are ways to go round this. The first thing you need to do is realize that planning such an event will be tiresome. The fact that you will be sending off a loved one means that emotions will run high on many occasions during the planning period. To avoid any problems, there are a few issues you should consider when planning one. These include:

The help from other family members and friends

If you are organizing a cremation for a loved one, chances are that you will have to also deal with a lot of emotional baggage. The fact that you may have lost a loved one combined with the fact that you may have lots to do may all add up to make it difficult for you to plan well. To avoid this, you should consider delegating some of the other tasks involved in the planning. Rather than taking everything on yourself, you should ask other people to handle items such as transport to and from the cremation site. This allows you to focus on only a few things at a time, which will in turn reduce the error rate during the process.

Consider getting extra service from the cremation firm

When you consult a firm that does cremation in Cheshire, CT, you will find that they may offer more than just basic cremation services. Other services they might provide include organizing the service for you. Some of the benefits of taking advantage of such services is that it might make work much easier for you. Well, the fact that you might not have to organize every single thing about the cremation on your own means that you can then free up time to focus on other things. When you use package deals from the firms, they are also more likely to be cheaper as well.

Consider consulting people who have organized them before

If you have never organized a cremation before, the technical details of doing so might sound tricky at first. To avoid running into major problems, you should consider consulting other people who have had to do the same in the recent past. They can walk you through some of the technical issues you need to sort out, as well as give you advice on how to avoid common pitfalls of planning. The good thing about doing this these days is that you don’t need to know such individuals in person. You can get most of the data you need online; there are numerous blogs that offer this sort of information.

Organizing a cremation service for the first time in your life will be intimidating, but not impossible. With the above tips, you will be able to get it done with relative ease. In addition, working with a committed cremation service provider will also make it easy for you to handle the process better.